A Review Of Some Of The Cool Cars I Drove Lately (Part 3)….Mercedes Benz C300 Vs Mercedes Benz C300 4Matic

I recently did a review of my drive of the 2009 Mercedes Benz C300 (Rear Wheel Drive). If you missed it, please read here….A Review Of Some Of The Cool Cars I Drove Lately….Mercedes Benz C300. (Part 2).

I was fortunate enough to drive a 2008 Mercedes Benz C300 4Matic the same day for a review.

It was a pleasure driving both cars due to their great driving dynamics and premium build quality. In order not to sound too technical, i will make this post very brief and straight to the point.

Both cars share everything including a surprisingly low (on paper) 3.0 L DOHC V6 engine producing 228 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 221 ft.lb torque from 2500 to 5000 rpm but the major difference is that the 2009 C300 RWD had a trip computer that measures the instantaneous fuel consumption while the trip computer of the 2008 C300 4Matic does not display instantaneous consumption. And the 2009 is blessed with the addition of pelvic airbags for the front-seat passengers. The airbags sit lower in the door than side-impact and curtain airbags and help prevent injuries in side-impact collisions.

Remember that the 4Matic is mostly built for areas that have slippery road surfaces due to adverse weather conditions but this extra drivetrain also helps the car put down the power quicker and gives it a surer grip on the ground. The manufacturer’s specifications reveal that the C300 RWD will hit 0-60mph in about 7.1 seconds while the C300 4Matic does the same distance in the same time but feels much quicker. Both have the same top speed but believe me, the 4Matic will most definitely hit the ‘G’ spot much quicker than the RWD version and this is without using the ‘S’ Sport mode.

I actually got both cars to 200kph but had to work harder to get there in the RWD but with the 4Matic, it was just a matter of power delivered anytime i wanted it. Getting to 200 and above was way easier than in the C300 RWD.

This feature while sweet, has its drawback in the areas of fuel consumption as the 4Matic consumes slightly more fuel than the RWD. The EPA estimate for fuel economy for the C300 Sport sedan with the automatic transmission is 18 mpg city/25 mpg highway. While the AWD/4Matic drivetrain, mated to an automatic transmission, earns an estimated 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway.

Also, the extra components like the propeller and shafts that send power to the front wheels mean extra mechanicals bits that will need maintaining in due course and depending on driving pattern, might also lead to faster wearing of the front tires.

Remember that with the 4Matic, it becomes almost impossible to do a burnout because the four tires grip the road stronger unlike the RWD that only the rear tires grip the road and with the right technique, they break loose to either entertain you or put you into big trouble depending on your proficiency.

So before buying one, ask yourself if you need the extra grip in this our tropical region, high cost of fuel and maintenance with not too reliable mechanics but with the exclusivity of the C300 4matic badging. Or simply, get the slightly ‘lesser’ C300 RWD and still have loads of fun and better fuel economy no matter how marginal it results to.

Do you have a contrary opinion? Let’s hear from you.

CAVEAT:

Do not attempt overspeeding on our roads.

Always drive within the ambits of the law.

Always drive to stay alive and keep other road users safe too.

Source: Naijacarlovers

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